Criticism

• Criticism of utilitarianism have changed that it is not a total approach to the ethical decision making, as by concentrating on the consequences of actions it ignores intentions and motives, which are also important in the moral decision – making.
• The limits can also be seen in business content in the concept of cost – benefit analysis, a process in which the monetary costs of a certain course of action are weighed against the benefits to be gained in contrast to other possible actions.
• It also faces limitations in its inability on the grounds of greatest happiness principle – to deal adequately with the rights of individuals and minority groups.
• Utilitarians insist on pleasure as the measure of good life; Aristotle argues for happiness as happiness is the goal of life. He describes that happiness describes a much longer frame than doe’s pleasure.
• Another difference is that Bentham emphasizes only quantitative measures, whereas Aristotle’s pursuit of happiness involves qualitative measures.
• There is another difficulty in the approach:

“Pain is bad, pleasure is good:, i.e. how does one measure pleasure?

• Some utilitarians as John Stuart Mill said that there is an important difference in the quality of various pleasures e.g. enjoying a movie at cinema hall or at home. Mill argues that the pleasures of the mind are superior to those of the physical side of nature of an individual.
• One cannot use utilitarian principles on a case – by case basis as it would take enormous amount of time.

It should be used to develop and defend rules that will bring about the best consequences for society in the long – run.